Airship



Nov. 10, 1936.

W. N. NOBLE AIRSHIP Filed Oct. 3l

INVENToR. VWLLIAM N. NOBLE.

A TT ORNE Y Patented Nov. 10, 1936 UNITED STATES Amsmr william N. Noble, New York, N. Y. t

Application October 31, 1934, Serial No. '150,775

' 7 claim. (c1. 24a- 5) My invention relates to airships in which the wings and body are lighter than air in combination with aeroplane surfaces which assist in keeping the airship aloft, and which may be set to serve as a parachute to permit descent to the earth at substantially a vertical path of travel.

The objects of my invention are:

To provide an airship which ris'es and descends vertically.

To provide an airship having aeroplane surfaces to permit horizontal travel at a saving in power and an increase of lifting capacity.

To increase the safety of air travel.

To provide an airship which may arise from,

as well as descend to, and survive on the surface of the sea. f

I accomplish `these and other objects by the construction herein set forth and shown in the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof,v

3o Fig. 5 is an elevation of one of `the wing motorsA showing the motor for revolving it.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view showing one of the vents and valves.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view showing one of the elevating and lowering motors and segmental rack.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof.

o My invention comprises a boat I having outward projecting sides 2 the under surfaces 3 of which function as planes when in flight. Said projecting sides also serve as the supports for the wing motors I. Within the boat, with theexception of the machinery space 5, and fuel space 6, Ipiiave constructed the entire interior spaces 'I hermetically tight for receiving and storing gas lighter than air to reduce the weight of the ship to assist the motors 8 and propellers 9 in driving,

5o thereby lifting the ship intol the air. The four yinotors 8 and propellers 9 are located near the four corners of the superstructure IB and may be .operated independently to level Aoif the ship in y ascent and also in descent. I have provided buoy- 55 ant gas storage spaces 1 in various parts/of my airship in addition to the space in the boat I. Said gas spaces may be of fabric or other material used in lighter than air ships of the conventional design. The wing motors I and propellers I2- which are rotatably connected thereto are pref- '5 erably swingingly mounted, permitting said motors and propellers to be revolved to change their direction of thrust from fore to abeam and aft, which makes it possible to move my ship sidewise as well as ahead or astern or at an angle 10 between these extreme directions of travel, affording a means of steering the ship without the use of rudders, as well as affording a means of warping the ship into a landing dock o'r pier.

The upper surface of deck I4 of said boat I is 1 preferably provided with thefuselage I5 having cabin navigation and control facilities, baggage and freight space, and such space as is not used for accommodation is preferably fitted with hermetically tight compartments for the storage of o gas lighter than air to add to the buoyancy of the ship. A

The superstructure I6 above the fuselage I5 forms the principal compartments for the storage of buoyant gas, and also is provided with a plane zo undersurface I I which acts as the wings of an aeroplane in sustainingk the ship aloft while In flight. The main motors I8 and propellers I9 in the ends or' the fuselage I5 in addition to the wing motors 4 and propellers I2 drive the ship 30 on its course while in horizontal flight.

At each side of the superstructure and hingeably secured thereto, I have provided the side planes 20 and 2l which form a continuation of the under surface I1 when in flight and 35 may be lowered, as may be seen by the broken lines in Fig. 1, to serve as a parachute when co-acting with the front and rear planes 22 and 23,in their lowered position, shown by the broken lines in Fig. 2.

When said front and rear planes are in their raised or normal position they form an extension to the undersurface I I of the superstructure, and at each side of'said front and vrear planesl 22 and 23 I have provided ailerons 4.5 24' to assist in banking and levelling off the position of the ship while in ilight,as well as elevators to gain and decrease altitude.

When the wings 20 and 2| and front and rear planes 22 and` 23 are lowered to form 5o a parachute, the edges maybe locked together to form a substantially air tight joint at the edges I0 thereof. l

At each corner of the superstructure I6 I have provided air vents II which Vmay be closed and valved oft` independently of each other to level the ship off while in descent. The valves 25 arepreferably operated by the motors 26 and segmental racks 2l which are secured to and swing the valves 25 as desired. Each motor 26 is ,provided with a pinion 28 engaging 'said rack 2l. All of the movement of wings, front and rear planes and ailerons, as well as the swinging .of the wing propelling motors are operated in like manner. The motors operating these various parts are reversible and may be provided with limit switches when desired.

It is believed that the use of motors, pinions and segmental racks for reciprocating, swinging and revolving various devices is so well known that a detailed description in this specification is not necessary. The structural details and machinery also may be any of those commonly used in air travel, and my invention need not be limited to any particular construction.

The operation of my ship is substantially as follows:

When leaving the surface of the water, the propellers 9 are. started, raising the ship to the desired altitude, after which the main propelling motors and propellers I9 and wing motors 4 and the propellers I2 driven there- ,by are started, advancing the ship in a horizontal or inclined direction. The wing motors are swung at the desired angle to steer the ship on its course.

Raising or lowering the altitude of the ship is accomplished by the aileron 24 or by the propellers 9. If it is desired to `lower the ship vertically, the wings 2| and front and rear planes 22 and 23 may be lowered until the edges I are joined to form a parachute, the velocity of descent may be reduced by increasing the speed of the propellers 9 which if further increased in speed will cause the ship to rise vertically. y r

'Ihe levelling on? of the ship while in descent may be assisted by regulating the flow of air through the vents Il by means of the valves 25 as well as by the regulation of said propellers 9.

'I'he ship is lightened by the use of vgas which is lighter than air, which is stored as stated above in all spaces which are not used for accommodations, machinery, supplies, stores. etc., as all of such spaces and the hollow parts of my ship are constructed hermetically tight with this purpose in view.

I do not wish to be limited to the exact detail of propelling motors and construction herein disclosed, as the construction may vary, as seems most expedient for the service and speed for which my ship is designed, and the appended claims succinctly set forth my invention.

The height of the superstructure I6 and therefore the amount. of buoyant gas therein and the amount of gas and thickness of the front and back planes 22 and 23 as well as the thickness of the side planes 2D and 2| may vary to change the lifting power of the gas to suit the speed of my air ship and also the frontal resistance and the consequent speed.

The side planes may also be constructed similar to the front and rear planes to increase the buoyancy and gas space l, and thus the front view of Figure 1 of the drawing in such case will present a larger frontal area similar to the side view of the superstructure I6 as shown in Figure 2 of the side view of my airship.

I claim:

1. In an airship, a boat having projecting sides forming supporting airplane surfaces, the upper surfaces of said projecting sides forming a deck on a plane with the deck of said boat extending inwardly, a fuselage near the center of said deck joined to said deck and terminating into a point at the forward and aft ends of said deck, and a gas lled superstructure secured to said fuselage having a plane under surface extending beyond said fuselage.

2. In an airship, a boat having projecting sides forming supporting airplane surfaces, the upper surfaces of said projecting sides forming a deck on a plane with the deck of said boat extending inwardly, a fuselage near the center of said deck having concave side walls joined to said deck and terminating into a point at the forward and aft ends of said deck and a hollow superstructure having a substantially fiat airplane undersurface and a curved upper surface having a gas space between the under and upper surface, hingeably mounted wings at the side of said superstructure and hingeably mounted front and rear planes having a curved upper surface conforming to the curvature of the upper surface of said superstructure having gas spaces between their upper and under surfaces co-acting with said wings when lowered to form a parachute to reduce the velocity of descent of said airship.

3. In an airship, a boat having projecting sides forming supporting airplane surfaces, the upper surfaces of said projecting sides forming a deck on a plane with the deck of said boat extending inwardly, a fuselage near the center of said deck having concave side walls joined to said deck and terminating into a point at the forward and aft ends of said deck and a hollow superstructure having a substantially fiat airplane undersurface and a curved upper surface having a gas space between the underand uppersurfacahingeably mounted wings at the side of said superstructure and hingeably mounted front and rear planes having a curved upper surface conforming to the curvature of the upper surface of said superstructure having gas spaces between their upper and under surfaces co-acting with said wings when lowered to form a parachute to reduce the velocity of descent of said airship, said wings and said front and rear planes when raised adapted to co-act with the airplane surface of said superstructure to sustain said airship in night.

4. In an airship, a boat, a superstructure and 'a fuselage co'nnected to and between said boat and superstructure, hinged fore and aft plane surfaces and hinged side piane surfaces attached to said superstructure each of said plane surfaces joined at their ends when lowered to form a parachute.

5. In an airship, a. boat, a superstructure and a fuselage connected to and between said boat and superstructure, hinged fore and aft plane surfaces and hinged side plane surfaces attached to said superstructure each of said plane surfaces joined at their ends when lowered to form a parachute and separated when raised whereby the fore and aft plane surfaces may be raised or lowered independent of said side plane surfaces.

6. In an airship, a boat, a superstructure and a fuselage connected to Aand between said boat and superstructure, hinged fore and aft plane surfaces and hinged side plane surfaces attached to said superstructure each of said plane surfaces joined at their lends when lowered to form a parachute and separated when raised tol permit independent movement'l of said side plane surfaces in relation to said fore and aft surfaces;

7. In an airship, a boat, a superstructure and a fuselage connected to and between said boat and superstructure, hinged fore and aft piane surfaces and hinged side plane surfaces attached to said superstructure each of said plane surfaces joined at their ends when lowered to form a parachute and separated when'raised to provide independent movement of' said piane surfaces in relation to each other and said' superstructure.

oWILLIAM N. NOBLE. 

